When Fate Plots and Portals Glitches

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The last thing Frost expected in his very long life was to be stuck in a card game of Uno between Danny, A.K.A the love of his life, and Fate, who was essentially the modern goddess of his known universe. 

Frost placed down a card. "Uno."

Fate and Danny eyed each other, giving the other the kind of look two people give to each other only in Uno when they decide that they'll work together for a bit to kick the third party's ass.

"... I have a 2+ card," Fate said nonchalantly.

"I have one too, what a surprise."

Both of them, without breaking eye contact from Frost, placed their cards one-by-one.

Shameless. Absolutely shameless. Frost picked up four cards from the pile, "I hate you both."

Fate glanced at her cards that were spread out like a fan in her hand. "Hm,"

Danny only grinned.

"Alright," Frost put down a card. "Reverse."

Danny glanced at the red card, then back to the cards in his hands. The grin oozed to a frown. "Aw, damn it."

Fate raised a brow, "No reds?"

Danny grumbled in response as he kept picking cards from the pile.

The three of them, still in Fates Office, sat down on the floor. Continuing the card game that they started thirty minutes ago, after the 45 minutes of nobody getting their powers back to get out.

And, no. One does not simply walk out of Fates' office, given that it's in a pocket dimension. Away from capture, away from Humanity and his army, away from the looming possibility of war.

"What are we going to do?" The words slipped out before Frost could stop them. And by the looks on both of their faces, Danny and Fate know exactly what he means.

Danny picks up his last card and puts down a red 3, "Something is building up, something big and it's getting big fast and we have to knock it down before it becomes something too much."

"Like war." Fate says tightly. She puts down a 2.

Uncomfortable silence comes after that.

"They've taken so many," Danny said, furrowing his brows, "They took your wife, Psyche's Husband, and all those people." Danny gritted his teeth. "For tests. And that's not including the artifact. What was it? Chains Of Apathy? 'Better good' my ass. Innovation doesn't start with kidnapping, and not with stealing. It just- It can't start with the suffering of the people it's meant to liberate."

The words rang through the room and then Danny took a breath.

Frost places down the red 1. "Obviously, we got a rescue mission to plan."

The temperature in the room dropped as the frost and ice that melted away regrew like arteries and patterns blossomed like roses. Danny startles as Fate stared. "I think," She said, "Our powers are back."

Fate stands, and a portal sparks, steadies, then slowly open across the three of them.

. . .

"So that's where you've been all this time?" Psyche says over the mechanical gears in Norths workshop.

"Yeah," Frost said, adjusting his footing on top of his staff. "Just about."

Psyche leaned against the base of Norths giant glob, "I wonder how they knew where the two of you were."

"She's Fate." Frost raised a brow, "They were probably just literally destined to, time itself probably said so."

Psyche for a moment quieted, the workshop was empty except for the two of them. Gears clicked and the orchestra of the warehouse continued almost like a heartbeat. Each 'cling' echoed through like a monastery, and both of them simply took in the moment.

She looked at the floor, eyes distant. "Did you know that I was human, once?"

Frost blinked at the sudden topic change. "Oh, uh. I'm sorry. That must of been unexpected-"

She looked at him with a bizarre expression, "Wait, what?"

"You died, right? That's how it goes-"

"No, I didn't die." She said, "I just... changed."

Frost shifted, "Oh."

She stared back at the ground, deep in thought and arms crossed. "I keep thinking, about how you became so solid and tangible. You know, seen like any other boy."

"... Right." Frost slowly came down his staff and stared at her intensely.

She hesitated. "... Belief, it does so much to us. Doesn't it? Even if it's just to that person, we're seen. We can be felt, heard. If it wasn't almost a lifeline to spirits, it would almost be poetic." She raised her brows, "Maybe it is because of it. A physical manifestation of how we oddly need each other. But to believe in something or someone can only be so much. You can believe in tomorrows, in bad people. In Boogymen or saints, or even all of this at the same time." 

Psyche turned back to Frost. "But love? That's so much more solid. And not love in an idea, or a craft, or in an illusion to something, but in a person. In absolutely, completely onto a person. Platonic or romantic, it doesn't matter."

"You think that this- you think it's because I'm loved? that this- " Frost all but choked, "You think... you believe that the reason I've become seen by so many people? Because he..."

"It sounds- simple, I will admit." She frowned, "But... it holds, I think."

Something in Frost's heart swelled and his eyes burned.

"I'm sorry if I upset you-"

"No! ... No." Frost rubbed his hands over his eyes and gave a wet chuckled. "Kind of the opposite, really." He swallows, "but how- why-" He turned to Psyche, "I'm sorry, I have to go."

She nods and gives a soft smile as Frost takes one last look at her and Drifter out the window, wind hissing only for the wooden frame to clasp shut behind him.

Authors Note-

Another one of the big reveals! ...We are getting close to the end, my dear readers.

I'm sorry if the reason why People Can See Jack Frost is anti-climatic. But legit, this is what I had planned in all of my drafts for 3 years ago or longer and I am as sure as hell not going to change it last minute. Believe it or not, that was kind of the idea that started this whole fic, what could love do if belief in a spirit had so much of an impact? So much so that they would die without a single person didn't believe in them? That was, to me at the time, one of the big questions that motivated me. If Fath, to any degree, was so valuable. Then how priceless would love be?

Any-hoo, there's my rant. Till next time.